6sqft | NYC local news, events, and apartments

Soho Properties has received $219 million in construction loans for a $174 million luxury condominium project at 45 Park Place in Tribeca, according to a statement from Manhattan developer Sharif El-Gamal, The Real Deal reports. The deal was funded by the London branch of Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank) and Kuwait-based Warba Bank, with Saudi investment firm MASIC providing a $45 million mezzanine loan and Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo serving as documentation agent. The developer had previously secured $33 million in financing from Madison Realty Capital in 2014. The funding will be used for the residential tower and an Islamic cultural museum to be built next door at 51 Park Place. The condo project, to be designed by SOMA Architects, will be a 665-foot, 43-story tower with 50 high-end apartments, including two penthouses on the top four floors. Ismael Leyva Architects is listed as the architect of record.
Find out more

May 19, 2016

This $499K Fort Greene Studio in a Former Bank Has Location, Amenities and Killer Views

Recognizable from what seems like miles away by its iconic clock tower, One Hanson Place was built in 1927 as the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower. Converted to 175 residential condominiums in 2006, it has been called "the finest landmarked skyscraper in Brooklyn and one of the best Art Deco towers in New York City." With its prime Fort Greene location in the BAM cultural district and at a crossroads where several great Brooklyn neighborhoods meet, interiors feature loft-like details, and building amenities include a gym, lots of additional storage and a sky lounge and terraces with even more dizzying city views (just to name a few). The flexibility of condo ownership makes apartments in the building a good investment, too. This well-configured studio may not be large, but it has the same prewar loft details and modern finishes as any unit in the building; what it also has–something much larger units may not–is soaring city views from the 14th floor of Brooklyn's tallest landmarked building.
See it all, this way

Distinctive Homes

May 19, 2016

Fisher Brothers’ Curving Rental Tower at 225 East 39th Street Reaches Full Height

By Julian Friedman

Without a hitch, Fisher Brothers' parking garage-crushing development at 225 East 39th Street has ascended to its full 395-foot structural height. More pause-worthy is that its reflective curtain wall has climbed high enough to show us how its reflective skin will accentuate its gracefully curving form. The 36-story high-rise is situated at the boundary of residential Murray Hill and the skyscraper canyons of Midtown East.
more one the progress here

May 18, 2016

This $3.6M South Slope ‘Kangaroo’ Townhouse Has a Second Unit Cleverly Tucked in Front

Though it's not too common, this isn't the first time we've seen a two-unit townhouse bust out of the usual set of configurations and tuck a rental unit up front, kangaroo-like, and wrap the rest of the house around it—especially in new construction or gut-renovated homes. It's a seemingly complicated setup, so do yourself a favor now and look at the floor plan below; You'll understand the (presumably) space- and privacy-optimizing wizardry much more quickly and be able to move on to admiring the cool features of this 5,974-square-foot new-construction townhouse at 297 16th Street in south Park Slope. $3.595 million buys a huge main house with four bedrooms, a yard and a deck, plus a two bedroom duplex to rent out for (according to the listing) $45k a year or stash your in-laws, teenagers or shoe collection.
See how they did it, this way

Distinctive Homes

May 18, 2016

Only One Unit Remains at Long Island City’s Baker House, Now Offering Two Months Free Rent

Not all of Long Island City's new developments are gargantuan or fully encased in glass. One such anomaly is Ranger Properties' recently opened rental building called the Baker House. Replacing a building that housed the Bakers Union Local 3, the development rises a modest nine floors within the human-scaled confines of the Dutch Kills section of the neighborhood, the 47,000 square-foot building was designed by Fogarty Finger Architects and boasts a tasteful exterior of red brick, metal and staggered floor to ceiling glass windows. Inside are 48 light-bathed apartments ranging from studios to two-bedroom layouts. Remarkably, after debuting on the market just earlier this year, the leasing agents at Modern Spaces have all but one of the units accounted for. The sole remaining home is a 700 square-foot, one-bedrooms, one-bathroom on the eighth floor, priced at a net-effective rent of $2,529/month. All residences are outfitted with white oak hardwood floors, Carrara marble baths, and open kitchens with Pedini cabinets and Bosch appliances.
find out more here

May 18, 2016

Study: Is NYC ‘Youthful’ Enough to Keep Millennials From Leaving?

Yet another survey on the fascinating habits of millennials comes to us via Gothamist, this time taking a closer look at where that generation’s critical masses are migrating en masse, and why. The Youthful Cities Global Millenial Survey by the data jocks at Decode interviewed 15,000 millennials in 34 cities throughout the world, then divided the results by continent. The study focused on the idea that millennials were more likely to be satisfied enough to remain in their current city if it's perceived as a "youthful city." Some criteria for this magical metric include a government that listens to the concerns of young people, access to fulfilling jobs, safety, healthy residents and access to health services, good post-secondary education programs and clean green space. North American respondents saw affordability as the top concern, followed by employment, safety, and decent public transportation. The survey shows that millennials see "a direct link between having a youthful city–a dynamic, curious, open, inventive, connected and playful city–and economic and financial benefits, including higher employment rates, more jobs, a stronger economy and a thriving environment for small business and entrepreneurship."
We're happier, but less employed

May 18, 2016

Video: ‘Degentrify America’ Takes on the Issue of Gentrification in Five Minutes

The definition of gentrification may be difficult to pin down, but filmmaker Nelson George is attempting to do so in his five-minute short "Degentrify America." In the film, George melds together national headlines with interviews and animation to paint a picture that has become all too familiar in metropolitan areas across the country. Most notable, however, is the appearance of Crown Heights resident and co-founder of the Crown Heights Tenants Union, Donna Mossman, who speaks candidly about the evictions, injustice and other ills that come with this particular kind of change. Crown Heights recently ranked #8 on NYU’s Furman Center's report of New York's 15 fastest gentrifying neighborhoods.
Watch the short film here

Uncategorized

Interview: CetraRuddy Founder, Nancy Ruddy, Discusses Her Firm’s Notable New York Works

Image courtesy of CetraRuddy

May 18, 2016

Interview: CetraRuddy Founder, Nancy Ruddy, Discusses Her Firm’s Notable New York Works

One architectural name dominating the new development scene is CetraRuddy. Nancy Ruddy and her husband Jon Cetra formed the firm back in 1987, and over the decades that followed the pair built an architectural powerhouse that’s erected countless buildings across the globe. But while their breadth of work touches everything from the educational to hospitality to […]

May 18, 2016

Seaport Loft Owned by Yankees Ops Director Matches Warehouse Details With Luxe Finishes

This South Street Seaport loft, at 272 Water Street, certainly hasn't abandoned its history. It still retains details of the former warehouse building and boasts an undeniably lofty interior. But it's also been decked out with plenty of high-end finishes, like new plank floors and a custom wood and steel staircase leading to a lofted bedroom. The owner and renovator (per Curbed) is the Director of Team Operations for the New York Yankees, who travels so often he only enjoys the space about half the year. Likely why he's just listed the home for $1.595.
See the rest of his pad

Distinctive Homes

Distinctive Homes

Cobble Hill's most expensive home finds a buyer

An architect's vision transformed this $2.15M Park Slope loft with leveled-up modernist design

185-acre equestrian estate that once belonged to the Carnegie family heads to auction

One of the oldest wood-frame houses in Brooklyn Heights asks $4.9M

Three bedrooms and plenty of living space make this $1.7M Park Slope condo a special find

After a thorough renovation, this peerless Park Slope mansion asks $13.5M

A 70-foot brick smokestack anchors a private garden at this $2.1M Williamsburg loft

This landmarked $3M Flatbush townhouse is architecturally significant and expansively livable, garage included

This $12M home in a Chelsea Deco icon has a terrace and room for an extra bedroom

This $4M Flatbush townhouse stays true to its Victorian roots

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The World Trade Center’s Elevated Liberty Park Will Open This Summer

Construction image via Port Authority

May 18, 2016

The World Trade Center’s Elevated Liberty Park Will Open This Summer

The city will cut the ribbon on another landscaped elevated this park this summer with the opening of the World Trade Center's Liberty Park—although no exact opening date has been pinned down, reports DNA Info. The park, which will measure just over an acre and rise 25 feet, is sited next to the Santiago Calatrava-designed St. Nicholas National Shrine (still under construction) and will provide an overhead view of the 9/11 Memorial and a leafy pocket of respite for FiDi workers, dwellers and tourists alike. But more practically, the park will give way to a pleasant pedestrian connection across West Street, on top of hiding the entrance to the WTC's security hub that sits beneath.
See more here

Architecture And Design

May 18, 2016

Prospect Park Employs Goats to Eat Weeds; The F Express Train Will Run Again This Summer

By Alyssa Alimurung

Brooklyn Brewery will be opening up a beer garden, brewing facility, and restaurant in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. [Gothamist] Ditch the toxic pesticide: Prospect Park will be hiring eight weed-eating goats to feast on the poison ivy, English Ivy, and goutweed that have taken over parts of the park. [WNYC] There are many places you can buy art in […]

Uncategorized

May 17, 2016

Lottery Launches for 29 Affordable Units at Extell’s 70 Charlton in West Soho, From $833/Month

It's not too often that affordable housing opportunities arise in prime downtown areas like West Soho, but starting tomorrow, 70 Charlton Street will begin accepting applications for 29 of its below-market-rate apartments. The Beyer Blinder Belle-designed building is of the luxury persuasion, developed by none other than Extell. In total there are 116 residences; 92 are high-end co-ops (currently priced between $1.6M and $7.1M) with interiors crafted by Workshop/APD in one building, and the rest affordable units situated in a connected building. According to the Housing Connect website, studios will start at $833/month, one-bedrooms will go for $895/month and two-bedrooms for $1,082/month.
Find out if you qualify here

Affordable Housing

May 17, 2016

Craigslist Hookup: Craig Newmark Buys $5.9 Million Village Townhouse Co-op

Craig Newmark, entrepreneur and founder of now-legendary swap site Craigslist, recently purchased a three-bedroom Greenwich Village duplex according to city records, reports The Real Deal. Newmark, who started the now-international site in San Francisco in 1995, and his wife, Eileen, bought the co-op, which occupies the first two floors of a gorgeous 1845 red brick townhouse-turned-three-unit-co-op on West 9th Street, for $5.9 million; it was last listed at $5.25M.
Read more

Celebrities

May 17, 2016

Clever Pour-Over Coffee Maker Poses As a Decorative Water Tower

Pour-over coffee makers are most-definitely favored by coffee connoisseurs, loved by those obsessed with the nuances that each bean carries. While the craft is considered cool, the large, bulbous glass vessels used during the process are hardly such. To improve the design of this method, Damon Ahola created TOWER, a single-serving pour-over coffee maker that masquerades as a decorative water tower—"the epitome of the New York City skyline," says Ahola.
Find out more here

May 17, 2016

Glenwood’s Newest Lincoln Center-Adjacent Tower Starts Leasing With Discounted Rents

When we last checked in on Glenwood Management's latest rental development at 175 West 60th Street, the 48-story, 533-foot tall building had just topped-out and launched its affordable housing lottery offering apartments priced as low as $566/month. Now, the team has jump-started leasing on the building's 205 market-rate residences. Dubbed The Encore—likely due to its proximity to Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the tower being Glenwood's second foray on Fordham University's Lincoln Square campus superblock (Hawthorn Park was the first)—the building is centrally positioned at the meeting of Midtown West and Upper West Side. According to Glenwood, occupancy for the upscale rentals will begin on July 1, and early lease-signors, for a limited time, can capture net-effective rents of $3,483/month for alcove studios, $4,790/month for one-bedrooms, and two-bedrooms starting at $7,297/month.
more details this way

May 17, 2016

Live On Artist Hannes Bend’s Boat for Under $300/Month – Tow It Wherever You Want

Now that we know it is very possible to live a (reasonably) comfortable life on a 200-square-foot boat with your significant other and a dog, there's no reason to pass up this opportunity to stretch out on a 28-foot sailboat for next to nothing. As Brokelyn first reports, artist Hannes Bend, is offering up his Bronx-docked boat up to anyone who wants to live a seafaring life—with the convenience of the city just handful of subway lines and stops away, of course—pretty much for free.
more details on how to move in here

May 17, 2016

Tour Eli Zabar’s Yorkville Rooftop Greenhouses; Automated Selfie Stick Features Lights and Fans

Here’s how to wash every kind of tote bag. [Racked] A selfie stick with built-in studio lights and fans for perfect wind-blown-Beyonce-hair. [Mashable] Tour Eli Zabar’s rooftop greenhouse gardens in Yorkville. [92nd Street Y] Ralph Modica, Compass broker and creator of Burgopoly, is hosting Williamsburg Terrace Tour two nights this week. Peek inside 20 homes […]

Uncategorized

May 17, 2016

This $3M Duplex Townhouse Was Carved Out of a 1902 Waterworks Building in Brooklyn Heights

If you're looking for a home that feels like a townhouse, co-op and loft all rolled into one, this Brooklyn Heights property may be your best bet. It's located at 25 Joralemon Street, a waterworks building constructed in 1902. It has since been converted into six co-ops, each laid out like duplex "townhouse" units. All six townhouses have their own separate entrance and a unique floorplan, with this one boasting a totally lofty aesthetic.
There's also a private courtyard entrance

Distinctive Homes

The History of the Roosevelt Island Tramway

By Rebecca Paul

In honor of the Roosevelt Island Tramway's 40th anniversary today, we've pulled this wonderful piece on the history of the high-flying gondola system from our archives. Commuting in New York City, whether for work or pleasure, is rarely an enjoyable experience. However, for some tourists and lucky city dwellers, the Roosevelt Island Tramway provides a delightful, high-flying travel alternative to the standard, and sometimes miserable, modes of NYC public transport. Running across the East River, this aerial tramway brings commuters to and from Roosevelt Island and Manhattan’s Upper East Side, and has carried over 26 million passengers since opening in 1976. It is one of the few forms of mass transit in New York City not operated by the MTA, but it still costs the same as the bus or subway and can be paid for with your NYC metro card. Like most things in our historic port town, both the tramway and the commute between Manhattan and Roosevelt Island has a history, and this one includes bridge elevators, high-rise rescue missions and French ski lifts.
More on how the Roosevelt Island tramway came to be

May 17, 2016

Map Mashup: The NYC Subway System Gets Re-Stylized as The London Tube

Pretty much everyone can appreciate a good map, and many of us are downright obsessed. Then there’s Cameron Booth, who has devoted a serious amount of his time to interweaving maps to transit systems all around the world with one another. The Portland, OR-based (by way of Syndey, Australia) graphic designer tweaks and reimagines the world's city transit maps on his blog; Booth has also helped test and create map apps for cities throughout the world. You could think of it as a way to travel everywhere at once, while not leaving home (as long as you stay within the bounds of this virtual transit system). Booth has tried his hand at versions of the transit systems of Paris and Portland, major U.S. highway routes and Amtrak train maps, and it’s both a graphic delight and an eye-opening way to see how cities’ transit systems get you from point a to point b. Take, for example, his project that combines the London tube diagram with the New York City subway system map.
Get a closer look at the maps

Transit

May 17, 2016

Live in Park Slope Without Giving Up Modern in This $1.45M Designer Duplex

If your dream of New York City living means clean, contemporary lines, sleek finishes, lots of white and pops of bright, but your life–or your budget–is in the land of brick and brownstone, head south a bit and you'll find that this chic duplex, asking $1.45M, might be just right. While this two-bedroom condo at 349 16th Street in Park Slope may not be super-spacious–it comes in at just under 1,000 square feet–a 300-square-foot private wrap-around patio definitely adds more to life than just square footage. For a single person or couple seeking enough room for frequent guests, the layout really clicks; it could also work as a starter home for a young family that can't yet claim the adjective "growing," or empty nesters-to-be with a frequently-visiting fledgling.
See more upstairs, downstairs and outside

Distinctive Homes

May 16, 2016

New Studies Show Historic Preservation Doesn’t Cause Gentrification Woes

The city's preservation groups have reported that the results of a series of studies, prompted by the 50th anniversary of the city's Landmarks Law, have put some numbers behind the claim that landmarking doesn't harm, and may actually improve, the economic balance of neighborhood development and growth. According to Simeon Bankoff, executive director of the Historic Districts Council, "This is the first time which preservationists–who tend to be from the humanities and subsequently math-averse–have put real data behind anecdotes." The combined reports represent the most comprehensive study to date of the impacts of historic preservation in New York City.
Find out what the numbers say

Policy

Controversial Lower East Side Waterfront May Get Even More Tall Towers

One Manhattan Square on the left, the JDS/SHoP Project in the center. The above image, created by CityRealty, depicts the possible massing of the new towers if built to 50 stories; No official design has been released

May 16, 2016

Controversial Lower East Side Waterfront May Get Even More Tall Towers

Just a few weeks ago 6sqft learned that the supertall super-team of JDS Development and SHoP Architects are planning a 900-foot, 77-story rental building at 247 Cherry Street, directly next to Extell's 850-foot One Manhattan Square. These waterfront developments in the Two Bridges area caused quite a stir since the neighborhood has historically been mostly low-income and low-rise, but now two more supertalls may rise at the site. Bowery Boogie reports that L+M Partners are looking to erect two 50-story towers on the nearby lots at 265-275 Cherry Street. Together, the buildings would hold about 1,000 units.
Find out more

May 16, 2016

Not Tall Enough! On the World’s Stage, New York’s Supertalls Are Ungraceful Runts

By Carter B. Horsley

Carter Uncut brings New York City’s latest development news under the critical eye of resident architecture critic Carter B. Horsley. Ahead, Carter brings us his ninth and final installment of “Skyline Wars,” a series that examines the explosive and unprecedented supertall phenomenon that is transforming the city’s silhouette. In this post Carter takes at aim the quality of design of those towers rising around the city right now, and how they fail to inspire when compared to those found internationally. The explosive transformation of the New York City skyline now underway is occurring without any plan in a very haphazard fashion. Some of the new towers are not ugly but compared to many new ones elsewhere, especially those that are free-standing, they’re not going to win many top honors. Many are very thin, mid-block incursions. Others arrogantly abut and loom over landmarks with nary a thought to context. Some clearly are aimed at one-percenters and offer lavish amenities and layouts. But many others are squeezing potential residents like sardines into very small apartments in attempts to set new “density” records.
The towers that got it wrong, and right

Architecture And Design

May 16, 2016

Parts of the Original Harlem Hospital Live On in this Funky Tribeca Duplex Loft

This 1,500 square-foot co-op loft at 156 Franklin Street in Tribeca is a first floor duplex with a layout that goes beyond the usual one-two beat. Rooms are layered above, below and between, which elevates everyday living—literally. The loft, asking $1.895 million, is also located in an historic district in a landmarked building and is filled with parts that were salvaged from the original Harlem Hospital. As such, the historic layers within are quite unique; reclaimed items harkening to the late 19th century include the stairs that run between levels and floors and the large stainless steel sink in the kitchen, and then there are the building's prewar architectural details like exposed red brick, arches, and barrel-vaulted terra cotta ceilings.
READ MORE

Distinctive Homes

May 16, 2016

Downtown Brooklyn’s Newly-Launched City Tower Offering One Month Free Rent

Snag the Greenest Seat in Town: Gufram's 1972 Pratone Chair is Shaped Like a Patch of Grass

City Tower, the second phase of Downtown Brooklyn's 1.8 million-square-foot, mixed-use mega-development, has debuted, ushering in 439 brand new market-rate rentals to the heart of the borough. For a limited time, the building is offering new renters one month for free based on a 13-month lease. The 38-story tower's current availabilities include four studios starting at $2,423/month, five one-bedrooms at $2,838/month, and three two-bedrooms at $4,154/month. The building was developed and is being managed by the long-established Brodsky Organization and was designed by the acclaimed eco-conscious architects at COOKFOX. Perched twenty floors above 700,000 square feet of retail, entertainment and dining spaces, many of City Tower's residences provide spectacular views of the harbor and Manhattan skyline.
Get the full scoop on the building this way

May 16, 2016

Sander Mulder’s Ghostly Josephine Lamp Glows With Its Whole Body

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

Less is more for just about everything when it comes to cramped NYC apartments; the notable exception, of course, being light. So here's a brilliant design that strikes a perfect balance between being hidden but also visually arresting when it needs to be. Sander Mulder's Josephine Lamp is a standing luminaire that takes on an almost ghostly form, only becoming apparent when one switches its on-off button.
Learn more about this magical lamp

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50 places to shop locally in NYC for that perfect gift

Everything you need to know about affordable housing: applying, getting in, and staying put

10 best plants for apartment dwellers

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May 16, 2016

Designer Kitchen Distinguishes This Two-Bedroom Apartment in Gowanus

This two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment occupies the top floor of 335 Carroll Street, a Gowanus warehouse converted not long ago to rental apartments. Asking $5,317/month, the apartment has shed its former warehouse skin for a much more modern aesthetic, which includes a chic designer kitchen.
Check it out

May 16, 2016

$180 Bowl of Ramen Comes to Midtown; Beth Israel May Be Closing Its Doors

A midtown restaurant is serving a $180 bowl of ramen, which it says is the world’s most expensive thanks to “Japanese-imported Wagyu beef, truffles and edible 24-karat gold flakes.” [WSJ] Maya Angelou’s historic Harlem brownstone is in contract. [Harlem Bespoke] Nurses from Mount Sinai Beth Israel claim the hospital is closing by the end of the […]

Uncategorized

Safer and Smaller Crane Could Cut Building Costs by Millions, But the City Doesn’t Allow Use

The Skypicker in use, via JOMAC

May 16, 2016

Safer and Smaller Crane Could Cut Building Costs by Millions, But the City Doesn’t Allow Use

Crane safety has made major headlines in recent months, after a crane collapse in February killed a passerby in Tribeca and reports surfaced about an uptick in construction site deaths. But at the start of the city's current building boom, there was a man and a crane who sought to make skyscraper construction safer, not to mention quicker and cheaper. Crain's introduces Dan Mooney, president of crane leasing company Vertikal Solutions and designer of the Skypicker, a lightweight mobile crane. It's only 10-feet tall with a 30-foot boom (compared with tower cranes that rise hundreds of feet), but Mooney says that's the point, that it "can fit in small spaces and is ideal for midsize buildings where tower cranes are overkill and mobile cranes or derricks are not big enough." When it was employed in 2012 for Midtown's Hilton Garden Inn, the 34-story building went up in just six months. After that, Mooney's phone was ringing off the hook with developers looking to save time and money on smaller projects, and he had four more Skypickers built. So why are they now sitting idle in a warehouse in Astoria?
Find out here

Policy

May 15, 2016

Angular Design Dominates this East Hampton Home Renovation by Maziar Behrooz

By Rebecca Paul

This dynamic East Hamptons home is located on the East End of Long Island in Wainscott, New York. The owners of the property originally purchased it 20 years ago when it was just a small structure. After a few expansions and renovations over a decade, in 2008, they decided they wanted an even bigger home and enlisted the help of architect Maziar Behrooz to build anew. The owners, who are originally from France, fell in love with the natural beauty of Long Island and wanted to reimagine their property without regard to its organic confines. In response to this request, architectural plans were created to include a dramatic 9,500-square-foot extension with asymmetrical triangles and a linear orientation that unifies the pool, grounds and garden.
READ MORE

Architecture And Design

May 14, 2016

Weekly Highlights: Top Picks From the 6sqft Staff

7,500-Name Waitlist Opens for 975 Affordable Units at Harlem’s Riverton Complex Rafael Viñoly Admits 432 Park ‘Has a Couple of Screw-Ups’ Behind This $1.25M Greenpoint Duplex Is a Barefoot Backyard Paradise Forgotten Four Acres of Central Park Reopens to Visitors After Almost 90 Years Williamsburg Unsurprisingly Tops List of NYC’s 15 Fastest Gentrifying Neighborhoods Preserved […]

Uncategorized

Rafael Viñoly Apologizes for Dissing 432 Park

Image of Rafael Viñoly via Rafael Viñoly Architects Facebook page for Fall 2011/Winter 2012 issue of Pin-Up: Magazine for Architectural Entertainment

May 13, 2016

Rafael Viñoly Apologizes for Dissing 432 Park

Image of Rafael Viñoly via Rafael Viñoly Architects Facebook page for Fall 2011/Winter 2012 issue of Pin-Up: Magazine for Architectural Entertainment On Monday, the architecture world was gobbling up the comments starchitect Rafael Viñoly made about 432 Park Avenue at a Douglas Elliman talk last week. He admitted that the 1,400-foot supertall "has a couple of screw-ups," referring to the interior design and layout, as well as the window framing, which he blamed on developer Harry Macklowe. But it looks like the architect is a bit red in the face, because he penned a lengthy public letter to design blog Dezeen apologizing for his loose lips. "In the context of what we understood to be a private and off-the-record conversation, I expressed frustration, inartfully, about the consequences of my profession's diminished position in the real estate development eco-system. Sometimes I get a little excited and say things that can easily be taken out of context and stripped of their humor. I have to improve," he said.
Read more of his apology letter

Architecture And Design

May 13, 2016

Odds You’ll Score an Affordable Apartment Through a City Lottery Are 1,000 to 1

Last August 6sqft reported that about 696 applicants were applying for each of the city's available affordable housing units, and those odds have gotten even longer. So far this year 2.54 million applicants have applied via the city’s Housing Connect website for 2,628 affordable apartments, which puts the odds at about 1,000 to 1. The number of hopefuls vying for units like the 181 well-below-market rate apartments–from $559/month studios to $3,012 two-bedrooms–available at Pacific Park's 461 Dean Street has increased dramatically since 2013, when 364,000 applicants applied for around 2,300 units, reports the New York Post.
Who's included in those depressing odds?

May 13, 2016

Brooklyn-Queens Streetcar Gets a New Website With More Details and Images

Friends of the Brooklyn Queens Connector launched a brand new website yesterday, revealing not only more images of how the streetcar could fit in with the various neighborhoods it would serve, but also the names of the developers, transportation experts and civic organizers involved in pushing the lightrail project forward. As listed on the site, members of the advocacy group include former MTA head and mayoral candidate Joe Lhota, big names hailing from the likes of Tishman Speyer, Steiner Studios and Two Trees Development, and a number of local groups, including the Fifth Avenue Committee, Industry City and DUMBO BID. According to DNA Info, over the next 16 months, the committee will attempt to get additional neighborhood groups and residents along the streetcar's 16-mile route involved in the city's public planning process, which in turn should drive more support and funding.
More photos of the Connector this way

Transit

May 13, 2016

Spotlight: BioBus’ Sarah Weisberg Helps NYC Students Find Their Inner Scientist

By Susan Cohen

An early appreciation for science can lead to a lifelong passion for the subject, but it can be a challenge to get elementary, middle and high school students excited about the sciences from inside the classroom, which is where the BioBus comes in. The mobile science lab was founded in 2008 by Ben Dubin-Thaler, who has a PhD in Biology from Columbia University. The bus began “as an experiment to test his hypothesis that, given the opportunity to use research-microscopes to perform live experiments, anyone would be excited about science.” To test his hypothesis, he purchased a bus on Craigslist and transformed it into a mobile laboratory equipped with state-of-the-art microscopes that could travel to students. The bus now serves thousands of New York City students and has a sister in the BioBase, located at the Lower East Side Girls Club, a hub created so that bus's lessons can be expanded upon through additional programming. BioBus’s Chief Scientist Sarah Weisberg is a great example of what's possible with careers in science. While she originally envisioned working in academia as a researcher, she found her passion for science programming and advocacy through BioBus. She is now hard at work growing the organization and its mission of presenting science in a fun, accessible way to children. 6sqft recently spoke with Sarah to learn more about the BioBus and how it's helping young New Yorkers discover their inner scientists.
Read the interview with Sarah here

May 13, 2016

Alan Cumming Lists Charming, Quirky East Village Home for $2.2M

"The Good Wife" star Alan Cumming is selling the East Village apartment that stole his heart when the Scottish-born actor first saw it back in 2005. Listed for $2.2 million, the four-bedroom co-op at 297 East 10th Street overlooking Tompkins Square Park definitely looks like the kind of place you could call home for at least a few years, a rare thing in the otherwise great neighborhood. The Wall Street Journal reports that Cumming and husband Grant Shaffer have been renovating a nearby 19th-century townhouse that they bought in 2013 for $4.65 million, and the time seemed right to part with this cozy co-op.
Have a look

May 13, 2016

Morris Adjmi’s Tribeca Condo Building at 83 Walker Street Gets Its Inverted Facade

After a unanimously approval by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in June 2011, the Morris Adjmi-designed condo building at 83 Walker Street has fully risen and is nearly completely adorned with its creamy, concrete facade. The nine-story, 19,000-square-foot building is being developed by Brooklyn-based Abra Construction Corp. and will house a duplex unit at the ground and cellar levels and eight full-floor residences above. Its narrow 24-foot-wide lot is within the fast-changing eastern extents of Tribeca (formerly Chinatown) and sits within the Tribeca East Historic District. The realized project is slightly higher than zoning allows and had to seek approval from the City Planning Commission in addition to the LPC.
The story behind that inverted facade

May 13, 2016

Get Views of the Apollo From the Private Terrace of This $795K Harlem Condo

There are lots of perks that come with a top-floor apartment, including this duplex at the Dover Condominium. The building is located right in the heart of Harlem at 252 West 123rd Street. The second level of the space has both a skylight and private terrace, where you've got views of all the neighborhood landmarks including the Apollo Theater. As for interior design, lots of exposed brick and a wood-burning fireplace keep things feeling cozy.
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Distinctive Homes

May 13, 2016

There’s a Serious Ice Cream Crime Epidemic; Psychedelic Temple Planned for Upstate

Thieves have been swiping pints of Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s from drugstores so they can resell them at a bargain price to bodegas. [Grub Street] As of last night, and through Sunday, many of New York’s major landmarks will be lit red as part of a city-wide campaign to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS. [TONY] Brooklyn woman […]

Uncategorized

May 13, 2016

Spencer Lowell Creates Hyperrealistic Photos of the Queens Museum’s Famous Panorama

By Rebecca Paul

The most prized piece in the Queens Museum is undoubtedly the Panorama, a scale model of the entire city conceived by Robert Moses for the 1964 World's Fair. Now, fifty years later, it can be enjoyed from an entirely new perspective, thanks to a recent collaboration between LA-based artist Spencer Lowell and the Frieze Art Fair. The resulting collection of hyperrealistic images zoom in on some of the most impressive sections of the model and give an aerial view of the mini metropolis that showcases the city's urban density in a new way.
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Events & Things To Do

May 12, 2016

Preserved Stuyvesant Heights Brownstone Was Jackie Robinson’s First Home in Brooklyn

Besides being a newly-hot neighborhood, Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant holds one of the city's finest collections of historic brownstones. Though many beautiful homes didn't survive the neglect of the late 20th century, many that did have been remarkably preserved or painstakingly restored to their original splendor. One of the highest concentrations of those impressive townhouses can be found in the Stuyvesant Heights Historic District in the south-central part of the neighborhood. It's here that you'll find this landmarked four-story home at 407 Stuyvesant Avenue, just arrived on the market for $2.875 million. According to the listing, baseball icon and civil rights pioneer Jackie Robinson lived here, and the brokers tell 6sqft that this was his first residence in Brooklyn. They add that when the current owners moved in, they found a treasure trove of memorabilia. So let's just say this 20-foot-wide Romanesque Revival-style brownstone hits it out of the park when it comes to intact historic detail and unspoiled 19th century architecture.
Explore this central Brooklyn treasure

May 12, 2016

A Mini-Solarium Brings Serious Sunlight to This $835K Kensington Apartment

It's not everyday you find a condo apartment with its own solarium—especially in the quiet, suburban-like neighborhood of Kensington, Brooklyn. This is the top floor apartment at 734 East 5th Street, an eight-unit, four-story development built in 2005. A wall of complete glass lines the east end of the apartment, creating a small solarium above the dining area. It leads out onto a patio, which isn't even the only outdoor option in this sun-flooded space.
See all the outdoor spaces

Distinctive Homes

May 12, 2016

Interview: RAMSA’s Paul Whalen Reflects on the Unique Design of 15 Central Park West

For good reason, hundreds if not thousands of articles and books have been published on 15 Central Park West, the “Limestone Jesus” designed by famed architect Robert A.M. Stern. This modern icon is credited with not only elevating the New York City luxury market to a level no one before dreamed it could reach, but […]

May 12, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week – 5/12-5/18

By Lori Zimmer

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! Design week is here, with enough trade-show events to make your head spin. Not to miss is the massive ICFF and Dwell on Design, two places to hit for the absolute latest and greatest in contemporary design. Take advantage of the nice weather and enjoy a cocktail al fresco while viewing the new Ivan Argote sculpture at the Standard High Line, or head out to Sunset Park and meander through the massive Industry City's open studios. The Judd Foundation creates a dialogue with James Rosenquist's work, and Swizz Beats' ex puts on her curatorial hat for an all-female show at Joseph Gross Gallery. Visit LA artist Marc Horowitz's New York debut at Johannes Vogt, and discover your inner adventurist in a one-night pop up by NY Adventure Club, featuring their members' death-defying photos of our beloved city.
More on all the best events this way

Events & Things To Do

One Domino Square

8 South 4th Street

Williamsburg

Spectacular living on the Williamsburg waterfront

1 beds starting at $1,925,000
2 beds starting at $2,055,000
3 beds starting at $3,030,000

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May 12, 2016

Gardener’s Majestic Hudson River Home Is Surrounded by Edible Gardens

By Ana Lisa Alperovich

This beautiful Hudson River estate is not only a stunning gateway with sweeping views and luscious gardens, but it's also a gardener's home with significant historic, cultural and ecological value. The estate, which is comprised of many buildings, once served as a farm, a gentleman’s club, a nursing home and a camp before Janice Parker Landscape Architects turned it into a nature-lovers retreat. In addition to featuring expansive views of the Hudson River and being surrounded by a rolling forest and farms, the estate delves deeper into the realm of Eden with its lush carpets of creeping thymus, blooming perennials and a full assortment of edible plants.
Learn more about this majestic home

May 12, 2016

Why Do Subway Conductors Always Point After Pulling Into a Station?

If you've ever been able to tear your eyes away from your targeted entry point when the subway doors are about to open, you might've noticed that every time a train pulls into the station, the conductor is pointing out his window at something. And believe it or not, he isn't calling out the crazy person screaming on the platform or gesturing to his fellow employees in the booth. This is actually a required safety precaution. Halfway down every subway platform is a "zebra board," a black and white-striped wood panel that's meant to line up perfectly with the conductor's window, signaling that all cars are at the platform. "Because opening the doors without a platform to step onto is such a serious concern, conductors are required to point at the sign every time to show that they've stopped at the right spot," Mental Floss explains.
Find out more this way

Transit

May 12, 2016

Leasing Begins at Downtown Brooklyn’s One Duffield, No-Fee Units Begin at $2,400/Month

Within the human-scaled oasis between the Manhattan Bridge and the BQE, a 57,000-square-foot church conversion has wrapped up construction, releasing 84 brand-new no-fee rental apartments to the Downtown Brooklyn market. Named One Duffield, for its address at the corner of Gold and Duffield streets, the five-story building uses some of the structural bones of a prior two-story church and completely re-imagines its aesthetic into a varied composition of brown and orange brick, metal siding, and large square windows. Nataliya Donskoy of ND Architecture and Design P.C. is the designer of the building and "The Bridge Building LLC" is listed as the developer in permits.
Get pricing and see inside

May 12, 2016

POLL: Can Mayor de Blasio Get Albany to Pass a 421a Deal by Next Month?

The city’s 421a program, which provides tax breaks of up to 25 years to new residential buildings that reserve at least 20 percent of units as affordable housing, expired in January, leaving Mayor de Blasio concerned for his push to add/preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing over the next decade. According to a REBNY report last […]

May 12, 2016

7,500-Name Waitlist Opens for 975 Affordable Units at Harlem’s Riverton Complex